Passing Notes
by Angel's Nocturne
Summary: For the YGO Fanfiction Contest. YugixJou Yugi and Jou start passing notes to each other in class. No big deal. That is, until that one note leads to some startling yet sweet revelations.


Disclaimer: I do not own YGO. I wish I did though. If I did, there would be some JouxYugi fluff. Yes, Jou would have Mai and Yugi would have either Yami or Anzu, but there's gotta be some fluff in there somewhere. After all, boyxboy love's what makes the world go round! XD

Author's Note: Hello everyone! It's the holiday season, and everyone's getting ready for some good old winter cheer! Here's some news for ya….

THIS FIC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WINTER, OR CHRISTMAS!!!

There. Now that **that**'s out of the way, I can say that it is Round 6 of the YGO Fanficiton Contest hosted by Computerfreak101, and the pairing is **Katsuya Jonouchi x Yuugi Mutou** or **Wishshipping**.

This is my Wishshipping one-shot. I thought this one up along with my Round 1: Prideshipping one-shot, **In Your Dreams**! So this might be good. You be the judge.

Hope you like my one-shot! XD

#2 Author's Note: Thoughts in _italics_. _Italics_ with "quotes" are written word.

**Passing Notes**

**By: Angel's Nocturne**

… _It's too early in the morning for this_.

Yugi tried desperately to keep his eyes open as the teacher—Mr. Tsuruoka—started writing things on the white board. He was mumbling about what would be on their quiz next week… Yugi sighed.

This was going to be another boring Wednesday.

It was like every other Wednesday that had become before it, and would probably remain an example for the ones that would come to pass. Yugi sat in his chair, his head resting on his hand as he watched Mr. Tsuruoka began class by jotting a few notes on the board. The sound of pens on paper and notebooks opening was heard through the quiet room as their teacher's monotonous voice tried to fill in the empty air.

It did little to keep Yugi awake. He had been up almost the whole night, playing the newest handheld video game that he bought with his allowance money. It cost him enough yen to keep him broke for the next month or two, but it was well worth it—Yugi had been so intrigued with the game that he couldn't put it down for a couple of hours. It wasn't until Yami finally snatched it away from him that the boy was forced to get some shut-eye.

He smiled. It was too bad Yami wasn't in this class with him. It might actually make things interesting if he had Mr. Tsuruoka first period too; then they would get to talk in between assignments.

Instead, however, Yami had chemistry with Anzu and Ryou in the morning. Yugi knew he liked that class—it was one of the few times he actually got to see his girlfriend and talk to her in school. Yugi shook his head. With Yami and Anzu dating now it was almost impossible to pry those two apart, even for a moment.

Yugi wondered if he was right when he thought he saw Yami follow Anzu into the girl's bathroom. He thought he was hallucinating from lack of sleep.

_At least he's happy_, Yugi thought, watching with heavy-lidded eyes as Tsuruoka scribbled something about graphing inequalities on the board. _Besides games, Anzu's one of the few things that makes him smile. I'm glad he's finally found someone… even if all he does is brag about it. _ Yugi snorted. _What a playboy!_

The same couldn't be said for Yugi. He was still blandly single, his status as King of Games getting him no female attention. All he had now were the gaming nerds climbing all over him for autographs and the chance to maybe play against him. Yugi almost wished he could be a nobody again. Fame was not what it was put out to be.

Yugi picked up his pencil and started to take down what Tsuruoka had written, listening to the blond teacher's obviously bored voice as he blabbered on and on about systems and functions. Yugi tried to concentrate, writing down the notes and recording the new ones Tsuruoka added after a moment of lecturing.

_It's not like anyone's listening to him_, Yugi thought. He looked around the classroom—Yugi was in one of the middle rows, so he only saw the backs of people's heads, but he had a good idea of what their faces looked like:

Bored, tired, and bordering on the visual expression of Tsuruoka's willingness to teach. Yugi knew they probably bore a resemblance to Night of the Living Dead—there was no denying the dark circles under his violet eyes, and the lingering silence that hung in the air like a plague.

_Why do we have to get up this early?_ Yugi started scribbling on the corner of his notes. _No normal person can pay attention at eight in the morning. And they wonder why we don't get very good grades…._ He doodled a Kuriboh with a tiny baseball cap, holding a bat and ball in both hands. Next to it he started a sketch of the Toon Dark Magician Girl, trying his best to get her eyes right. They just didn't look correct for some reason.

_Maybe I'm too tired to tell,_ Yugi thought, smiling wistfully as he erased his sketch and started again. It wasn't until a worksheet was passed back to him that Yugi noticed a folded piece of paper on the right corner of his desk.

He looked up to the desk in the row to his right, one row up. That was where Jonouchi sat. Yugi looked at the blond curiously. Normally Jou didn't send him notes in class.

He wanted to lean over and tap Jou on the shoulder, but he was too far away, and Tsuruoka would see him. Yugi cringed—the last thing he needed was Tsuruoka on his nerves. That man may have been bland when he taught, but if you dared to be what he considered "disrespectful" (and his definition of the word seemed to extent a lot farther than most teachers') then he switched gears in an instant. The man was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Yugi got the feeling that no one liked either side very much, but Dr. Jekyll was the lesser of two evils. Not much less, but lesser enough that no one tried to get on his bad side.

Yugi picked up the note and unfolded it. It was definitely Jou's handwriting—Yugi was already used to the way his words were barely intelligible. It was like trying to decipher hieroglyphs… except even Egyptian writing was easier to understand than his.

"_Hey Yug! What's up? "_

Yugi smiled. He got his pencil back out and jotted down his answer quickly.

"_The ceiling. I can't focus today. Mr. Tsuruoka is putting me to sleep."_

Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw Jou turn to glance at him, perhaps checking to see if he got the note yet.

Yugi slipped the paper onto the blond's desk as inconspicuously as he possibly could. Though it was quiet in the room the paper barely made a sound as it reached Jou's desk, and as quickly as it had made it there Jou snatched it up and started reading it. From where Yugi sat he could see the fellow duelist's lip curl, a slight chuckle under his breath. Yugi smirked as he tried to work on the worksheet.

It was a moment later that the paper came back. Yugi unfolded it and read Jou's reply:

"_I know. The bastard acts like he's less into this stuff than we are. **That's** saying something right there."_

Yugi giggled inwardly. That was certainly true. He responded back.

"_I wish this class would be over already. We have another half-hour left to listen to Tsuruoka's 'exciting' lectures. XD"_

He folded the note again and went to place it on Jou's desk. This time the blond turned around, looking at Yugi with a little bit of surprise. His honey-brown eyes darted to where Tsuruoka was writing down more notes, and he swiftly took the message. He smiled at Yugi before turning back to the front.

Yugi went back to his worksheet, trying his best to get it done. He was glad to at least be having a conversation with someone—especially Jonouchi. It was only be luck that the two of them had the same first period class together.

Well, actually, it was more like the fact that they were both miserably failing—or in Yugi's case, border-lining a failure—in algebra, and just happened to make the same class on the schedule. That was also why Honda was in their class, but he was sitting at the other end of the room, staring like a lovesick ninny at his beloved Ribbon. Yugi shook his head, smiling—Honda had absolutely no chance with her, but that didn't stop him from watching her like a vulture watches road kill.

Yugi gazed at Jou as the teen furiously scribbled on the note to get his reply back quickly. How long had they been friends now? Yugi almost couldn't measure the time, it felt so long ago. It had been such a quick transition—Yugi almost felt like he had been friends with Jonouchi forever.

It had not been forever, Yugi knew. He remembered it well enough; the teasing, the bullying. The ridicule from other people, and how he was never picked for any sports or outside games. Not that Yugi wanted to be a part of anything sport-related—he still recalled painful memories of that from elementary school. Gym class never favored him much.

Through all the torments of school life, Yugi remembered how the blond teen had stood out from all the others. He wasn't picking on him and making him cry to hurt him. His intentions had a different connotation.

"Yugi, I'm just trying to make ya into a **man**," Jou had once said to him. "One day, I'm gonna teach ya how ta be a real man, and take care of yourself. You can't be a baby forever."

Jonouchi only wanted to help him grow up. To be stronger, and tougher, so as to survive in the big bad world. He had the best intentions at heart.

Yugi knew this—it was why he never went to a teacher to complain about the harassment. Not that the teaching staff could have helped him anyway; they were more incompetent than most of the students. Yugi simply appreciated the effort—he knew Jou and Honda were wasting their time, but the fact that they wanted to help see him through was amazingly generous. Yugi smiled to himself. It was tough love—no pain, no gain. And with them Yugi went through _a lot_ of pain.

It wasn't until Yugi saw Jou and Honda, beaten up against the school and having the hall monitor kicking them relentlessly did Yugi realize that this was it: he was their friend. And as their friend, Yugi couldn't just allow them to be beaten for his sake. He was sure after Ushio turned on him that the guys wouldn't see him any different—after all, he was still the same old Yugi. Weak, pathetic, hardly anything close to a man.

Not like Jou and Honda. Those two were strong and confident. Where Yugi was a boy, they were definitely men.

They were men, and Yugi was still protecting them from the bully Ushio. Yugi had fallen to the ground, defeated and bruised, feeling hopeless. He knew he couldn't help them. He could never be someone who could protect their friends.

He thought that Jou would think him even weaker now—even more pathetic, after he'd been beaten up by Ushio. He expected to feel their wrath the moment they got him alone at school.

Things didn't happen that way. Suddenly Jou was his friend, laughing beside him and letting him borrow movies. In Yugi's surprise he theorized that it was the puzzle that gave him his new friend, and in truth he was semi-correct. Whatever the case, Yugi knew now that he had the trust and companionship of the strong and courageous Katsuya Jonouchi.

In the midst of Yugi's thoughts Jou passed the note back to him. Quickly Yugi returned to reality and the dull droning of Mr. Tsuruoka's voice, as he unfolded the note to see Jou's response:

"_School lasts forever, doesn't it? Hey, are you doing anything after school? I think I can stop by for a duel or two today, if that's okay with you."_

Yugi thought for a moment. Grandpa had said something about a new shipment coming in today, and they would benefit from having Jou help them unload the merchandise. It was always good to have Jou around to help out with new games—he was tall and strong, so he could reach places that neither Yugi nor Grandpa could reach, and carry more boxes than either of them combined. If Jou helped them out with that, then the two of them would definitely have enough time to play Duel Monsters when they were finished.

It was always a pleasure to have Jonouchi around the Game Shop. He was willing to help with most of the chores and while he was there Yugi and he joked around and generally had a fun time. It made some of the housework a little more bearable.

Yugi wrote back. "_Of course! We can walk home from school to the Game Shop, unless you need to stop by your place first. Grandpa has a new shipment of games coming in, so we might have to help him with that before we can play Duel Monsters."_

He added: "_You better be ready! I've got a new deck that I think could even beat Yami! XD"_

He passed the note back to Jou. Yugi watched the youth, thinking how fast the work would get done with him around. They might even have enough time to watch that new "movie" Jou got… or smuggled, if you wanted to use a more defined term.

Strong, courageous Jou. Yugi realized how invaluable a friend he really was. How many times had Jou saved him from bullies? Over time Yugi found himself to be more confident and assertive in his ways, and he gave partial thanks to Jonouchi. The blond was something to admire sometimes—despite the odds against him, the teen pulled through, showing valor that surpassed most.

Yugi knew he was one of Jonouchi's closest friends, but he couldn't help but show admiration for him. Jou was something else—one moment he could be completely silly and ridicules, the next becoming a solid stone that would protect his friends from any and all harm. He had a heart made of gold, never failing to amaze Yugi by his stamina and boldness. He was great in every way….

He was everything Yugi was not. Strong and courageous, bold and outgoing, loud and spirited. Yugi wanted to be those things—he wanted to be like his yami, or like most of the other duelists he knew. He wanted to be something great and remarkable—he wanted to be like them….

He wanted to be like Jou. Jou was perfect—so tough, so stable, so amazing. His smile lit up a room—his words were heard no matter where you were. Words of encouragement, words of trust… words that stirred the very being of Yugi's soul.

He knew he was Jou's friend, but was he _just_ Jou's friend? Was that the end of the line, as far as they could go? Yugi never really considered a relationship beyond it, taking into account that he was only friends with Jou. He didn't even know if he went that way.

He severely doubted that _Jou_ went that way either. Jou had loved Mai before she broke up with him, which was a few months ago and so far from anyone's minds that they chose not to think of it. Jou was a tough, brave _man_… what would he want with a pipsqueak like Yugi? Yugi was an insect compared to him—there was no way that Jou would be attracted to him anyways, even if Yugi did like him like that.

Yugi blushed a little. A small voice in the back of his mind said he did.

He sighed. What interesting thoughts for so early in the morning.

_I should be focusing on my work_, Yugi scolded himself. _I'm not getting a good grade in this class as it is. A couple more failures and I might as well repeat the entire course._

He glanced up to see that the note was back on his desk. He grabbed it and looked at the new scribbles that were Jou's words.

"_Yug, could I tell you something? You might not want to hear it now, so maybe later but… I've got something I need to tell you."_

Yugi read the sentence over. Something he had to tell him? What could it be? Had something bad happened?

Yugi jotted his answer down fast. "_Jou, you know you can tell me **anything**. And if you want to tell me now, then that's fine. So, what do you want to ask me?"_

Yugi pushed the note back on Jou's desk. They had already filled the entire front side of the page, so as soon as Jou read his message Yugi saw him flip the paper over and start writing on it. The blond seemed hesitant as first—Yugi thought he saw Jou glance back at him a few times, his gaze both curious and scared.

Yugi tried to get the image of Jou's nervous gaze out of his mind as he attempted to finish his class work. Why would Jou be scared? Maybe something terrible had happened, and it was on Jou's mind, worrying him. Yugi felt his heart sink a little—what could Jou possibly need to tell him?

Yugi finished his work, and then started on the homework assignments that Tsuruoka had on the board. Out of the corner of Yugi's eye he saw the teacher stalking around the room, the students silent as they did their own work. Yugi could feel the eye of Tsuruoka, like a vulture's, watching him and everyone, making sure they were all quiet. Yugi felt unnerved with the choking silence, only broken by the somehow loud ticking of the clock above the classroom door.

The clock ticked on, and on, and on. Yugi finished with the homework problems, and contented himself with his Duel Monster doodling. He glanced up every once in a while to see that Jou was still writing the note. Yugi could see that his response was very long. The shorter boy's curiosity brimmed—what was Jou writing?

Even more importantly, how much longer would it take? The seconds passed like minutes, the minutes like hours. Yugi tapped his pencil on his desk, anxious to get the note back. His curiosity would kill him—in his mind he thought up a million scenarios, all possible answers that he would receive from Jou. Family problems, a new gang that was forcing him to join, and even an Armageddon that only Jou knew about were potential responses. Yugi finally gave up thinking about it and just sketched all over his notebook.

"Psst."

Yugi didn't glance up. The whisper was probably one of the other students.

"PSSSSSST! _Yugi_!"

His eyes shot up to meet Jou's gaze. The blond was looking at him, the finished note in his hand.

"Here!" Jou hissed. He reached out to hand Yugi the note. Yugi's hand went up to grasp it….

A pale hand came down and snatched it from Jou's clutches.

"A-ha… what do we have here?" Mr. Tsuruoka held the note in his hands, looking down with disdain towards the two duelists. Both of them shot a gaze of shock and fear towards their teacher—Tsuruoka hated notes. He always took delight in giving detentions to those who passed them, and also liked to read the note aloud to the class as punishment.

Yugi's stomach did flip-flops. Tsuruoka would read Jou's answer… he would read their entire note aloud to the class! Everyone would hear it!

Tsuruoka watched them, an amused smirk on his lips. "This appears to be some sort of note… I believe you both know how I feel about notes in my class."

Yugi saw Jou ball his hand into a tight fist. The blond gritted his teeth.

Yugi tried to protest. "Mr. Tsuruoka, it's nothing, really! I was just telling Jou what we need to do for homework—"

"Don't make excuses, Mr. Mutou," Tsuruoka snapped. "I don't care what reason you have. This is a note, and as I've said many times before, passing notes is disrespectful and a cause for punishment. You are supposed to be paying attention to the lesson, not chatting…," Tsuruoka's narrow eyes glanced over at Yugi's notebook, "or **doodling**. You're here to pass my class, not pass notes."

Yugi felt his heart race, panicking. "But, Mr. Tsuruoka—"

"No ifs, ands, or buts, Mr. Mutou. Those are the rules of my classroom, and as your teacher, I am bound to enforce them, with an **iron fist** if necessary." His snake-like gaze looked at Jou, who was seething in his seat. Yugi could see how upset Jonouchi was. Apparently he remembered Tsuruoka's consequences too.

"Now," Tsuruoka hissed, as he started to unfold the note in his hands, "before I give the two of you a detention for your obvious misbehavior, let's see what was so secret that you couldn't share it with the class, shall we?" The paper crinkled under his bony grasp.

Yugi's head felt light. He was nervous—now they were going to get a detention. Even worse, their note was going to be read to the entire class. Yugi's cheeks flushed lightly as he saw how many eyes were on him and Jou now. He could see Honda a few rows down, watching with shock and concern. He knew he couldn't do anything to help his poor friends out of this one.

Tsuruoka cleared his throat. The room was dead silent. "Ahem… '_Hey Yug! What's up_?'"

Tsuruoka read through the note, saying each and every line out loud and with the clearest voice Yugi had ever heard. It seemed to resonate off the walls and around them as if they sat in an amphitheater. Yugi's heart beat in his chest, the thumping sound loud as it boomed in his ears. He wondered if Jou could hear how loud it was from where he sat.

Yugi's violet eyes cast a glance at the blond. Jou was sitting still, rigid, his body tense as his hands clenched into tight fists. Yugi could see how edgy he appeared—his face was hard and his eyes like topaz stones. Yugi knew that behind that quiet mask he must have been fuming—he hated Tsuruoka as much as the next student, and Yugi was sure that Jou only thirsted to pop the teacher in the mouth, but was restraining himself greatly. Yugi noticed as they got closer and closer to Jou's long response that his cheeks were getting redder and redder.

Finally Tsuruoka hit the part Yugi feared the most. He read over Yugi's question, and then flipped the note over, clearing his throat once more.

"And here's Jonouchi's response everyone," Tsuruoka announced, his voice like that of a snake slithering. Yugi narrowed his gaze at the man's amused tone, as he turned his eyes to the crumbled paper.

"… 'It's_ kind of complicated, Yug. In the back of my mind I'm wondering how I should write this. I know it would be too difficult to get out in words, but I don't think I can't wait any longer. If I hold this in much more, I think I might explode, right here, right now._

'_Yug, we've been buddies for a long time. Not as long as I would have liked, but a long time. It's been fun, right? We've had so many wild adventures, some of them forcing us to risk our lives on everything. I know I've risked mine a lot over the course of time. You risked yours an awful lot too. _

'_You know that you're my best friend, and I hope I'm yours too. We've been through too much for us not to be! I wish I hadn't picked on you before. I wish I had been nicer to you, before all our adventures began.'_"

Yugi looked at Jou, and the blond glanced over as Tsuruoka read. Yugi could see something beyond the hard external face Jou put on in the midst of embarrassment—underneath it all, he thought he caught a glimpse of weakness and fear.

Tsuruoka continued. "'_I remember thinking how weak you were. How small you were, and how your voice sounded like a girl's. I remember thinking it was sick—that you needed to grow up, and maybe then you wouldn't be such a weakling. I didn't mind bullying you around back then. It seemed like it didn't mean much._

'_But when you stood up against Ushio for us, I realized something I didn't see then. You were small and quiet, but that didn't mean you had no guts. I saw how brave you were, and when I thought about how I picked on you and you **still** stood up for me, I also saw how pathetic **I** really am._

'_Yug, because of you, things changed for me. I realized that the life I was living wasn't worth what you had to offer. I knew that most of the people I considered friends weren't really my friends, and the ones that were (like Honda) could only do so much. I had no real family. The only person I cared for what Shizuka, and she probably didn't know who I was anymore. I had nothing to live for. My life was a wreck and I was on the verge of being a nothing._

'_That's when I became friends with you._

'_You taught me things. You showed me games, and got me into playing them instead of wasting my time with gangs on the streets. You were there for me when I didn't have a father, or a mother, or a sibling, or a friend. You ended up being my focus. You became my reason for wanting to live again.'"_

Yugi's eyes widened. He looked at Jou, whose face was now an undeniable shade of crimson. His head bowed, he refused to look at anyone, even Yugi. A few giggles and whispers were heard around the classroom.

"'_See, I didn't feel like being anything anymore. I had given up. I had nothing in my life—no family, hardly any friends, and the gang wars were all I actually lived for. My grades were shit, and I had no money except the cash I stole from kids on the street. Things weren't looking up. I was living in poverty. I was living in Hell._

'_When I met you after the thing with Ushio, things were different. You showed me that I could be something else, that I could be someone. When I looked at you, I didn't see the small, weakling kid I saw before. Now I see a guy who's found his place in the world, struggling to the top, and smiling the whole way through. You didn't let the bullies and all that shit get you down. You just smiled, and kept going._

'_This may sound weird, but when we became friends, I wanted to be like you. I envied you, Yug. You were happy, and had gaming skills, and even with your faults you seemed to have nothing wrong with you. Your life was great, and you had friends and family who cared for you. You had things that I didn't have.'"_

Yugi could feel his pulse race. Jou… Jou wanted to be like him? He was envious of _him_? Short, weak, girly-voiced _him_?

Yugi shook his head. He felt like he was dreaming. Only Mr. Tsuruoka's nasal voice in place of Jonouchi's made Yugi remember that this was real.

"'_At first I was jealous. I wanted what you had, but I didn't know how to get it. I watched you and Anzu and I thought, why can't I have that? _

'_It took me a while to realize what I did have: I had **you**. You were the friend I wanted, the kind that I felt would help me no matter what happened. The kind that would protect me, even if they really couldn't hold their own._

'_From then on, I knew I would do the same for you. I can't explain it—just in one moment, I decided that I would stand by your side, just as you would mine. My loyalties were to you. You were the friend I never had. You talked to me, listened to me, helped me when I felt like punching someone and when I felt like all the world's shit was coming my way._

'_Yugi, you're the best friend I've ever had. When I see you, you remind me how the world ain't so bad, and that you can always go up. You showed me that I wasn't a nobody. You taught me to have confidence in myself, and that I was my own person. I had friends supporting me. I had **you** supporting me._

'_You helped me get into Duelist Kingdom, so that I could save Shizuka's eyes. You gave up one of your star chips for me, Yug! Your star chip—a duelist's life! I tried to repay the favor by getting back Exodia for you. I'm sorry I never got all the pieces back—I wanted to kill Haga for what he did to your Grandpa's cards, but you took care of him. You kicked his ass._

'_You supported me when I dueled, and you found me when I got taken into that cave with Bonz and Bandit Keith. We teamed up together to take down those wacko rhyming brothers, and then you gave me the prize money to help Shizuka. I lost to you, and you still helped me back up. You didn't see my loss as a failure—you never saw me as a failure, not once._

'_You saved my Red Eyes from Rare Hunters, and me from Malik. You protected me and Mai when the Winged Dragon of Ra attacked us. The list goes on and on, Yug._

'_I don't know what I'm trying to say exactly, Yug. All I know is that you've done so much for me, just because I'm your friend. You're like a guardian angel, Yugi, you know that? You help everyone around you. You've helped me especially, because without you, I wouldn't be the guy who I am today. I would be nothing without you, Yug.'"_

Yugi felt his face flush. He didn't know Jou felt so strongly.

He didn't know why he felt so strongly in return. He stared into space, Tsuruoka's voice echoing in every cell of his body.

"'_If there's one thing I do know, it's that I care for you, Yugi. You've been with me, through thick and thin for the longest time. Because of you, I'm who I am today. You've been my light. You've guided me out of the darkness._

'_I consider you as more than a friend sometimes. Maybe something else. I know it sounds weird, but I don't think I can hide it anymore, Yugi. Not after so long. I can't stop thinking about it—I don't sleep now, because all I do is think about this. Think of you. I don't know what you might think, or how you feel, but I need to let you know. I've been silent all this time, but I think I've come to terms with this. I know now, that I will always care for you. I will always protect you…_

'… _and always love you.'"_

Tsuruoka's voice stopped. He had reached the end of the note.

Yugi sat in his seat, silent and still. His breathing was shallow, as his amethyst eyes looked up and caught Jou's shy gaze, the once strong and defiant lion suppressed into a meek lamb as its greatest weakness was displayed.

As its heart's desire was revealed to everyone in the class.

"… Jou…."

A stray tear rolled down Yugi's cheek.

Tsuruoka snorted, taking the note in his hands and holding it gently. A look of disgust crossed his face as he peered down at Jonouchi and Yugi.

"Well!" Tsuruoka exclaimed. "Never, in my days, have I read a note like _this_!" Suddenly, he took the paper and ripped it into pieces, letting the scraps fall to the floor. Yugi watched with empty violet eyes as they floated onto the tile. Another tear stained his cherub face.

"It is certainly outrageous!" the teacher fumed. "School rules state that a teacher's rules are law, and my rules are that there will be no notes in class. And with such content better left outside of school, it is undoubtedly an offense that will not be tolerated! I— Mr. Mutou, sit down right now!" Yugi stood up from his seat, standing before Mr. Tsuruoka. He didn't look up at the man, or at anyone. His face was calm as he walked over to where Jonouchi sat.

"I said, sit down!" Tsuruoka commanded. Yugi ignored him, walking over until he stood right beside his friend. Jou glanced up, a surprised look in his honey-brown eyes. Yugi smiled at him. "I said **sit**! Get back in your seat, Mr. Mutou, or I'll be forced to send you to the office right—" Yugi didn't hear a word the man said. Suddenly he leaned down, claiming Jonouchi's lips with his own.

He noticed how soft Jou's lips were, as he brushed his mouth over the blond's. _Very _soft, and warm. Jou may have seemed surprised at first but he quickly melted into the kiss, standing up with Yugi as the shorter boy wrapped his arms around Jou's neck, as he pressed his lips hard on Jou's mouth.

He could hear Tsuruoka screaming in the background. "OMIGOD…! THAT'S **IT**! GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM! THIS IS **OUTRAGEOUS **MISCONDUCT AND I WILL **NOT** TOLERATE IT! GET OUT, **NOW**! **NOW**!"

Yugi pulled back, looking up into Jou's eyes as Tsuruoka continued to rant and rave. The blond's honey-brown eyes were wet, like he was going to cry but didn't. His lips were curled into a dazed smile as he lightly panted from the vigorous kiss.

Yugi smiled as he took Jou's hand, pulling the duelist towards the door as Tsuruoka's face resembled a tomato from all his screeching. The class watched the two as they walked together, their faces full of awe, disgust, or bewilderment. Honda stared at them, his eyes no longer glued to Ribbon as his best friends headed for the door, hand-in-hand.

Jou smiled back at Yugi as he grasped the boy's smaller hand with his own.

"GET OUT! GET. OUT. NOW!"

Yugi and Jou only smiled as they opened the door to the classroom, Jou holding it open for Yugi as the two of them left the room, heading out into the hallway. Tsuruoka's screaming was far behind them when they shut the door, taking only a few steps down to the office before they crashed against the wall, Yugi pinning Jou as his lips smashed into the blond's ravenously.

He could hear Jou release a slight moan from surprise. The blond duelist's hands stroked up and down Yugi's back as the boy's body fitted against him. As Yugi nipped on Jou's upper lip his fingers ran through Jonouchi's messy golden locks, his arms locked around Jou's shoulders as he stood on his tippy-toes to reach him.

After what felt like forever and a mini-second all at once, Yugi and Jou separated, as Yugi laid his head on Jou's chest. He could feel the slightly muscular physique beneath Jonouchi's school uniform.

"I thought… you loved… Mai…," Yugi said between breaths. "And she… broke up… with you…."

"I lied… on dat…," Jou breathed. "I was da one… who broke up with her."

"What?" Yugi looked up at Jou, startled. "But… but why? I thought you—"

"I thought so too for a while," Jou replied with a grin. He brushed back some of Yugi's unruly blond bangs as he stared at the boy's angelic face. "But when I finally realized dat I had feelings for you, I just couldn't keep livin' with a lie. So I broke it off with Mai." His gaze was wistful and distant as he spoke. "She understood. She's probably gotten together with Valon by now."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yugi asked. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"I wasn't ready yet, Yug," Jou said. "I didn't have da guts ta say anything. If I said I broke up with Mai, you would've wondered why. I didn't have da nerve ta tell ya it's because I like you." He chuckled softly. "Kinda weird, eh?"

"Yeah, kinda." _Kinda weird because **you're **the strong one, Jou._ Yugi couldn't imagine Jou begin scared. Not for a second. Not his big, strong Jonouchi.

Jou's hand came up and his fingers traced Yugi's small lips. "So… I'm guessing dat da kiss back in da classroom—"

"Means exactly what it I meant it to be," Yugi answered. He leaned up to brush his lips against Jou's for a moment. "I didn't know what to say. You had your whole note and all I could think of was… well, was that. No words came to mind."

"I'm kinda glad they didn't," Jou said, licking his lips slightly. Yugi's face felt hot as he blushed a dark pink. "Well, if Mr. Tsuruoka doesn't get a heart attack from dat 'performance', den it's safe to say dat we'll be in big trouble."

Yugi nodded, thinking. "Probably. What do you think he'll do?"

"Who knows? Suspension, maybe expulsion, if he's really dat pissed." They paused a moment to listen. Mr. Tsuruoka's screeching could still be heard from his classroom, even with the door shut. "… I won't put it past him."

Yugi snuggled into Jou's lithe form, hugging him. "So, what do we do now?"

Jou shrugged. "I dunno. We're already in trouble. We could just ditch."

Yugi gnawed on his lower lip, thinking about it. "I'm not sure; we could get in more trouble than we're already in…." He looked up into Jou's glistening topaz eyes, and smiled. "But, I'd hate to spend the morning here at school. It's too early."

Jou winked. "You said it." The two of them uncoiled, looking instead down the hall to the entrance way. The doors stood before them, waiting.

In the silence of the hallway they walked together, and as their hands joined between them in quiet understanding, their foot steps echoed into the Wednesday morning that would be like no other Wednesday that had come before it, and would not be an example for the ones that would come to pass. It was not another boring Wednesday.

And it was never too early in the morning, to tell someone you love them.

Author's Note: Ahh. Sweet conclusion.

Well, I hope you liked my JouxYugi one-shot. I did my best.

Reviews are always welcome. Happy Holidays!


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